Octalsoft - Future Trends In Clinical Research

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Clinical trials are an important testing area for new medications and equipment. They are also costly, administratively difficult, and time-consuming.

The way life science businesses conduct clinical trials is continuously changing as new technologies emerge and the healthcare landscape changes. These advancements, ranging from the application of artificial intelligence to the introduction of merchants into the field, might help address the most pressing issues confronting clinical studies.

In this blog, we'll broach the subject of the future of clinical trials and look at some of the most recent clinical trial trends and how they can make studies cheaper, faster, and better - and change clinical testing in the future.

1. Advances in technology

The majority of drug trials fail. One research found that just 13.8% of medication development programs result in approval. It takes an average of 7.5 years from the commencement of clinical testing to marketing for those who succeed. The cost of trials to support FDA approval of novel medications ranges from $19 million to $2.9 billion, indicating that the ...
... risks are significant.

From bad research design and inadequate site selection to failure to recruit and participant withdrawal, technological innovations address some of the most frequent issues that may derail studies and distort outcomes. Consider artificial intelligence, decentralized clinical trials, and wearable technologies as examples.

Artificial intelligence:

ChatGPT is a new buzzword in the realm of artificial intelligence (AI). It's the greatest AI chatbot ever made available to the public. ChatGPT has already been designated as a co-author on at least four scientific publications, is assisting programmers in fixing code issues, and has attempted to persuade one guy to leave his wife, both impressing and disturbing millions of people since its inception in late 2022. It even passed all three sections of the United States Medical Licensure Exam.

The excitement surrounding the flashy chatbot signifies a huge step forward in AI's capabilities. Most of us are only now getting a sense of how far AI has progressed, yet it is already redefining important milestones in clinical trials. Here's how it's done:

Patient recruitment:

One of the most difficult aspects of the clinical trial procedure is patient recruiting. Almost 80% of clinical studies fail to recruit participants on schedule. AI is quickly emerging as a viable answer as one of the foremost future trends in clinical research. For example, Johns Hopkins researchers are employing an artificial intelligence-based tool from Viz.ai to speed up enrolment in a brain damage trial. The software analyses patient data in real-time to find potential trial participants and alerts research teams. Similarly, Cedars-Sinai Heart Center researchers employed Deep 6 AI software to discover 16 subjects for a trial in one hour. After six months, the traditional technique yielded only two volunteers.

Predictive modeling:

AI can also forecast research outcomes by analyzing patient records for trends and creating personalized predictions for a response. Based on pre-treatment symptom scores and EEG data, one research employed machine learning (ML) approaches to predict the improvement of depression symptoms in individuals undergoing antidepressant medication.

Clinical trial design is another area where AI has shown potential. Artificial intelligence algorithms can extract information from trial records and assess how each component of the trial procedure influences the outcomes. This strategy has been proven in drug discovery and is rapidly gaining favor in trial design and clinical trials of the future.

Virtual and decentralized clinical trials (DCTs)

Artificial intelligence isn't the only technology transforming clinical trials. Decentralized clinical trials (DCTs), in conjunction with digital technologies for remote assessment, are sweeping the medical research field as the future of clinical trials with respect to technology

Medical research has traditionally been conducted in person at academic institutions, restricting possible volunteers to people who reside near study sites. DCTs leverage technology to perform part or all components of the trial remotely, such as electronic consent, wearables, and remote patient monitoring.

While the epidemic heightened support for DCTs, they are not wholly novel. In 2011, Pfizer conducted the first totally virtual clinical study. Without clinic visits, the experiment collected data using mobile phones and web-based technology.

DCTs expand access to a wider and presumably more varied pool of patients by meeting them where they are, such as low-income and rural patients. Patients who would ordinarily encounter significant barriers in centralized trials, such as travel fees and job absences, may be able or willing to participate in DCTs.

For example, almost 400,000 people signed up for Stanford University's Apple Heart Study, a virtual research that uses the Apple Watch to identify abnormal heart rhythms such as atrial fibrillation, a leading risk of stroke.

Another possible benefit for clinical trial sponsors? As many virtual trial instruments, such as the Apple Watch, record data passively at home, more data is being acquired more often and readily than ever before.

With increased digital health acceptability, there's no doubt that DCTs have "arrived" and are prepared to alter the clinical trial business today and in the future.

2. A changing regulatory landscape could boost diversity

Minorities are underrepresented in clinical trials. According to the FDA, in 2020, 75% of trial participants were white, 11% were Hispanic, 8% were Black, and 6% were Asian. Yet, one in every five medications has a varied response across racial and ethnic groups.

To address the issue of diversity, the FDA will soon require researchers and corporations seeking late-stage clinical trial approval to submit a plan for assuring diversity among trial participants.

Diversity must be addressed to ensure that studies are inclusive and reflective of the community they are intended to benefit. This can assist in ensuring that study findings are generalizable to the entire community, leading to more equal healthcare outcomes for everybody.

3. Retail giants are jumping into the clinical trial game

Retail behemoths are expanding into healthcare delivery, offering anything from immunizations to general care visits. What's less well-known is that these well-trafficked local stores are carving out a niche in clinical studies.

It's a no-brainer for retailers: By utilizing their massive customer base and store network, retailers can provide clinical trial sponsors with access to a diversified patient population, making it easier to enroll participants and run larger-scale trials. Shops may potentially get new revenue streams from pharma firms by participating in studies.

Among the new entrants, CVS Health, Walgreens, and Walmart stand out. CVS started offering clinical trials in 2021, while Walgreens and Walmart entered the market in 2022. Several shops have said that they want to improve diversity in drug development by making clinical trials more accessible to underrepresented groups including elderly persons, rural dwellers, women, and minorities.

It’s clear that moving into this space is not just a win for retailers, patients, and pharma companies but the future of the clinical research industry.

In Summation

Overall, these improvements indicate that clinical trials will be more diversified, patient-centered, and technology-driven than ever before. The future of clinical trials holds tremendous promise for advancing medical research and improving patient care. The integration of big data, virtual and decentralized trials, AI and ML technologies, adaptive trial designs, and patient engagement will reshape the landscape of clinical research, making it more efficient, inclusive, and impactful.

At Octalsoft, we have already begun stepping into the future with our comprehensive suite of eClinical software solutions. Do you want to know how you can overcome existing clinical trial challenges, accelerate the development of innovative therapies, and usher in a new era of evidence-based medicine that benefits patients worldwide with Octalsoft? Book a Demo with us Now!